Combined play pen and playhouse



June 25, 1946. s. L. DENNIS 2,402,376

COMBINED PLAYPEN AND PLAYHOUSE Filed July 24, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B NE :D L S Jun 25, 1946.

S. L. DENNIS COMBINED PLAYPEN AND PLAYHOUSE S. L. DENNIS Gummy PatentedJune 25, 1946 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i COMBINED PLAY PEN ANDPLAYHOUSE Samuel L. Dennis, Raleigh, N; Application July 24, 1944,Serial No; 546,284

3 Claims.

1 Thisinvention relates to a combined playpen and playhouse and is adivision of my copending application; Ser. No. 411,425, filed Sept. 18,

An object of this invention is to provide a com-. bined playpen andplayhouse which is constructed to simulate at least a portion of a logcabin.

Another object of this invention is to provide a playpen and playhousewherein the front and rear wall thereof maybe formed from slabs whichare ordinarily waste lumber.

A further object of this invention is to provide a structure of thiskind which may initially be erected as a playpen and playhouse, andwhich maybe subsequently converted into only a playhouse.

A further object of this invention is to provide a structure of thiskind which may be manufactured at a low cost and which may beconstructed in wall sections which may be put together by aninexperienced mechanic or carpenter.

A further object of this invention i to provide a structure of this kindwhich may be placed at any convenient location in a yard and which mayor may not be provided with a closed roof, the structure being providedwith longitudinal rafters on which a fabric or other covering may beoptionally placed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a structure of thiskind which may be contracted from a combined playpen and playhouse toonly a playhouse, and which is so constructed that the lumber taken outduring the conversion of the structure may be used in fitting in certainportions of the playhouse, so that very little if any additional lumberwill be required to make the conversion.

To the foregoing objects, and others which may hereinafter more fullyappear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combinationand arrangement of parts, as will be more specifically referred to andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understoodthat changes, variations, and modifications maybe resorted to which fallwithin the scope of the invention a claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is'a detail side elevation of a combined playpen and playhouseconstructed according to an embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 'is a vertical section through the combined playpen andplayhouse with the structure converted into a playhouse, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary-vertical section of the playhouse showing thevertical walls thereof formed as solid walls.

Referring to the drawings, there is herein; disclosed a combined pen andplayhouse, wherein the pen extends rearwardly from the house structureand'the roof portion of the combined pen, and playhouse extends alsoover the pen. The combined pen and playhouse includes a front wallstructure 01, a rear wall structure 98, a

pair of side walls 99 andl00, and a pair of pen forming wall members WIand I02.

The frontwall structure 91 is formed of a pair of horizontally disposedslab members I03 which are secured to the outer ends thereof tovertically disposed posts or studs I04. A door frame I05 is secured tothe inner end portions of the short siding members I03, and the doorframe I05 is formed of a pair of vertically disposed side frame membersI06 which are formed in their outer faces with rabbets I01 within whichthe innerend portions of the siding members 103 are adapted to seat.

A sill or lower frame member I08 is secured between the lower endportions of the vertical frame members I06, and an upper plate or headI09 is secured between the upper end, portions of the vertical framemembers I00. The frame members I06 in their front faces are formed withrabbets H0 within which a pair of upper doors Ill areadapted to engage.The doors IH are hingedly mounted on hinge members H2. The inner sidesof the frame members I06 are formed with rabbets H3 in which a pair oflower door members H4 areadapted to engage. The door members H4 arehingedly mounted on hinge 'members H5. The lower door members H4 areadapted to swinginwardly, whereas the upper door members III are adaptedto swing outwardly. v

The rear wall structure 98 is constructed simi-- lar in every detail tothe rear wall structure It, being formed of a plurality of horizontallydisposedvertically spaced apart slabs I [6, which are secured at theirouter end portions to vertically disposed posts or studs H'l. Arectangular window structure H8 similar in every detail to the windowstructure 62 is secured in the upper central portion of the rear wallstructure 98, and a pair of shutters H9 are hingedly mounted on hingesI20 secured to the frame structure H8.

, The shutters H9 are adapted to seat in rabbets I21 formedin-thevertical sides of the frame structure H8, and the frame structure H8 isalso formed with outer rabbets I22 within which the inner end portionsof certain of the slabs III; are adapted to engage. A cornice structureI23 extends upwardly from the front wall structure 91 and a cornicestructure I24 extends upwardly from the rear wall structure 98. Aplurality of horizontally disposed spaced apart parallel shingle stripsI25 are secured between the two: cornice members I23: and I 24, andprovide a means whereby a suitable roof structure, such as a fabric orfibrous roof structure or other suitable roof forming means, may

be mounted on the strip I in order to. provide a solid roof for sheddingwater or preventing the entrance of bright sunlight. Raftersl25a; may

be secured to the strips I25 rearwardly ofthefront wall.

The side wall members 99 and I00 are of like construction, and are eachformed of a lower rail I 26, an upper rail I21 and a rear post or studI28. Siding members I29 are secured to the outer'sides of theposts I28;and also to intermediate studs I28a. The siding members I29 are similarto the siding members 20, shown in Figure 2, being formed of slabsprovided: with a rabbet in one edge thereof, and a tongue in the otheredge so that if desired the verticallyspaced apart sidingmembers- I29may have additional siding members inserted therebetween to form a solidside wall structure; A pipe I30 may be secured between the upper railsI21 to support a swing or the like.

A playpen area I32 is disposed rearwardlyof the rear ends-of the sidewall members 99 and I00, and in the initial formation of the combinedpen and playhouse, the playpen area I32 is disposed inwardly from therear wall 99 which forms the rear wall of the-playpen area I32; Thesiding members Ill-I and I 02 form with the rear Wall 98 a three-sidedplaypen area which has initially the rafter members I25 extending overthe upper portion thereof; The: pen side wall I02 is formed of upper andlower parallelrails I33 which at their forward ends are adapted to abutagainst the stud I28 and may be secured to the projecting end portionsofthe weather boarding members I29. Therearends of the rails I33 engageagainst the outer side of the vertical posts or stud H1 and abut attheir rear ends against the inner faces of the rear siding members HE.

A plurality of vertically disposed parallel-spaced apart picket membersI 34 aresecured to the outer sides of the rails I33 andeach picketmember I34 is formed in one vertical edge thereof with a groove I35, andin the opposite vertical edge thereof with a tongue I33 The picketmembers I34 are adapted to be subsequently used as floor boards whichmay b secured to the rails I26- of the sidewall: members 90 and I0 0.

The pen wall member II is constructed of'a pair of vertically spacedapart parallel rails I31 which abut at their forward ends againstthe-adjacent stud or post I 28 carried? by the sidewall member 99, andthe rearends of the rails I31 engage against the outer side of theadjacent rear stud member I I1- opposite from the penwall I02. The rearends of the rails- I31 abut against the inner faces of the adjacentsiding members II-B', as shown in Figure 2:

A plurality of verticallydisposed" spaced apart picket members I38 aresecured tothe outer sides of the rails I31, and preferably the picketmembers- I38 are substantially rectangular in transverse section; asshown in Figure 2; so that these 4 picket members may subsequently beused to provide the material for forming at least a portion of the roofsheathing to be secured to the roof rafters I25a.

The combined playpen and playhouse structure may be constructed insections and, if desired, this structure may be formed with the frontand rear walls 91 and in individual sections, with the side wall 99formed with the adjacent side I 0I of thepen area. The side; wall 1:00may also be formed as a unit with the wall member I02 of the adjacentside of the pen area. The roof rafters I25 are initially in loose form,but of desired length sothat the purchaser of the knockdown. house mayeasily and quickly assemble the several sections to provide the desiredbuilding.

What I claim is:

1. A playhouse comprising front and rear walls, each wall including aplurality of vertical studs, a plurality of horizontally disposedvertically spaced apart slab members simulating logs secured to saidstuds, a door frame insaid front Wall, upper'and' lower doorsinsaidframe, and a pair of side wall members disposed between said front andrear walls, each side wall including a plurality .of horizontallydisposed spaced apart horizontal slab members having a lengthsubstantially equal to one-half the distance between the front and rearWalls and defining a front playhouse area, and each side wall. includinga plurality of horizontally spaced apart vertical slab member havingpointed lower ends and definin a rear area, said areas communicatingwith each other, and. upper and lower rails secured to said, verticalslab members and to said rear wall, and the rear portions of said sidewall slab members, the pointed lower endsof said vertical slab membersextending below said lower rails for projection into the ground tothereby anchor the. device. V

2. A playhouse comprising front andrear walls, each wall. including aplurality of vertical studs, a plurality ofv horizontally disposedvertically spaced apart slab. members simulating logs secured to saidstuds, a. door frame in said front wall; upper and lower doors in saidframe, and a pair of. side wall members disposed between said front andrear walls, each side wall including a plurality of horizontallydisposed spaced apart horizontal slab members having a, length substan,-tially. equal to. one-halfv the distance between the front and rearwalls and defining a front playhouse area, each sidewall including aplurality of horizontally spaced apart vertical slab members. havingpointed lower end and defining a rear area, said. areas, communicating,with each other, upper and lower rails secured tosaid vertical slabmembers and to said rear wall. and the rear portions of said side wallslab members, said vertical slab members and said rails being removablewhereby said end wall may be positioned between the rear portions. ofsaid side Wall slab members. to thereby, form a substantially closedhouse structure.

3. A playhouse comprising front and rear walls, each wall including aplurality of vertical studs, a plurality of horizontally ,disposed.vertically spaced apart slab members; simulating logs secured. to said,studs, a] door frame. securedv to certain of said slab members betweenthe endsthereof,, upper and lower. doors hingedlymounted in said frame,a pair of side walls disposed between said end walls, each side,Wall'beihg'formedof horizontally disposed horizontal slab members for 5a portion of its length defining a front playhouse area and a pluralityof vertically disposed spaced apart slab members for the remainingportion of its length defining a rear area, said areas communicatingwith each other, certain of said vertical slab members having a tongueon one edge thereof and a groove in the outer edge thereof whereby saidcertain vertical slab members may be converted into fiOOr boards,certain others of said vertical slab members having a rectangular 10SAMUEL L. DENNIS.

